


The Shadows of Angels Episode II: "The Loss of Hope"

by hollow_works



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Ben Solo Angst, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, Jedi Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, Young Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:47:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29375910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollow_works/pseuds/hollow_works
Summary: "Ben Solo was my best friend, my only friend, and then he was so much more. I would have done anything for him, too bad it came to mean much darker deeds than I had ever imagined."Read the second part of the trilogy of Ayala Samsobal's recollection of her time with Ben Solo and his rise to power as the darkside user, Kylo Ren.
Relationships: Ben Solo | Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s)





	The Shadows of Angels Episode II: "The Loss of Hope"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayala and Ben, now 21 and 23 years old respectively, return to their childhood homes on Chandrila to visit their parents and serve as ambassadors for the jedi order.

The Shadows of Angels:  
Episode II  
The Loss of Hope

28 years after the Battle of Yavin, darkness ripples through the galaxy. Seperatists grow strong with the aid of a shadow benefactor. The New Republic braces itself for the tide of whispers of the rising unrest. Bitter confederates and Empire loyalists move behind the scenes of the political theatre to sabatoge the shining vaneer of the New Republic Senate. 

The Padawan Ambassadors, Ayala Samsobal and Ben Solo travel to Chandrilla to ease the minds of the scared, and embolden the spirits of those that would stand and fight. 

The galaxy is on the verge of having their first wave of Jedi Knights since the Clone Wars!

In only a few years, the new Jedi will be ready to take their rightful place as the peacekeepers of the Galaxy once more and quell the tides of war!

****

I entered Hanna City's airspace in Ben Solo's brand new ship, "Grimtaash" and made my way to the old familiar landing pad of his family home. Ben smiled proudly at me as I landed on the pad deftly.

"See? I told you I could fly." I said.

"Hey, when you're right, you're right." He replied as he unbuckled his harness and stood. 

"When did you have time to fly anything? You haven't been off the old planet." 

I smiled and batted my lashes up at him.

"I've clocked lots of time on the flight simulators, my dear." I replied simply. "What kind of Jedi would I be if I couldn't fly?"

He looked down on me with his dark eyes and crooked smile and offered me his hand to help me up from my seat.

I smiled, unbuckled myself, and swatted his hand away as I stood.

"Hey, that's not very nice, princess! I was just trying to help." He protested.

"I know what you're trying to do and it won't work." I groaned. 

He stepped forward and backed me into the control panel. I gasped and giggled as his arms lifted me up to sit on the ledge and he settled between my thighs. 

"You really did great, Ay'la." He breathed dangerously close to my lips and smirked devilishly.

"Okay, that might be working after all." I whispered as my heart began to race.

His hazel eyes were as clear as crystal as he looked into mine with a silent request. My gaze settled on his lips and he leaned forward to kiss me hungrily.

"I've missed you." He grunted as he pulled away. 

"I've missed you too." I replied breathlessly and wrapped my arms around him.

His hand snaked up to the back of my head and massaged his fingers through my hair. His other hand pulled me closer to him. He balled his fist and used my hair to pull my head back to expose my throat and grazed his lips across the sensitive flesh there. His mouth found my ear and took my lobe between his teeth and gently pulled on it. His warm breath sent chills down my spine as I fought to breathe against my pounding chest. 

"Oh, Ben." I sighed as he trailed his kisses up my cheek and back to my lips.

"Yes?" He growled between kisses.

"We should-"

"No." He cut me off as he captured my mouth with his.

"Ben." I moaned as he pressed forward.

"Yes?" He repeated.

"We really need to-"

"No, we really don't." He said and dove back into our kiss.

The coms twittered to life and Ben's mother, Leia spoke. I yelped as he pulled his lips away from mine too fast. 

"Welcome home, Ben. You guys okay?"

"Yep! Yeah! Just trying to calm down after Ay'la nearly crashed us into the landing pad." He said and covered my protest with his hand over my mouth and an impish smile plastered on his face.

"I find that highly unlikely." Leia replied curtly.

"Well, it's true!" Ben laughed as I mumbled explicitives under his hand. 

I knashed my teeth on his palms and bit down and he stifled a groan.

"What's that noise?" Leia said suspicion in her voice.

"Ay'la landed so hard, the droid fell out of it's seat." He laughed as I finally stopped fighting him and resorted to giving him my best death glare.

"I assure you, young Solo, I am perfectly fine." The droid replied.

"And thank goodness for that!"

"Well, you two get in here and let's get ready to eat." Leia ordered and the coms went silent again.

Ben released me and flinched as I swatted his shoulder.

"What a bantha head!" I shouted and jumped back to the floor to chase him out of the ship. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He laughed and ran across the tarmac to the elevator.

I wasn't far behind him and I ran into the elevator just before the doors closed. His arms caught me and spun me around to kiss me one last time before the chime rang and the doors opened. He put me back on my feet just in time.

"Mom!" He shouted and and spanned the floor to her and wrapped his arms around her for a hug.

His frame dwarfed her and she let out a yelp of surprise.

"My boy! You've grown so much!" She said warmly.

Ben let her go and smiled down at her. 

"Naw, I think you've gotten shorter." He chuckled.

"Watch it, or I'll sic the Loth-cat on you." She warned playfully as she brandished her pointer finger at him.

"You guys got a cat?" Ben asked incredulosly.

"We had to get something to keep us on our toes while you were gone." She said with a chuckle and began putting out plates on the table.

I stepped out of the lift and my eyes settled on my mother. She smiled and walked slowly to me, her hands clasped before her reverantly. I made my way to her and hesitated before I rushed to her and embraced her. 

She draped her arms around me and burst into tears.

"Mama!" I sobbed.

"My sweet angel!" She cooed.

"I've missed you so much!" I cried.

"My baby! You have been missing from my heart for so long." She said as she held me close.

"I love you, Mama." I breathed into her shoulder.

My tears rolled freely down my face.

"I love you so much!" She cried and kissed the top of my head.

She gently pushed me back and took me in.

"You're so beautiful!" She sobbed gently and smiled at me as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"You've grown so much, and I'm so proud of you." Mother said sincerely.

I dropped my eyes sadly.

I dreaded having to see my mother for that reason. I had so many questions. Questions about my father, our heritage, our family history. 

Her fingers lifted my chin and looked into my eyes with concern.

"Are you okay?"

I blinked and nodded.

"Yeah." I lied and gave her my best smile.

"I'm so happy we can all finally be together." Leia said proudly. "You're probably hungry, so let's eat!"

◇◇◇◇

We ate and were instructed to clean ourselves up. Leia brought out garment bags and held the smallest one out to me and the tallest to Ben. My mother smiled and began clearing the dishes and Leia returned to the table to help.

"We're going to the Opera House for some culture and we must dress to impress!" She smiled impishly at me as she dumped an armfull into the sink.

"You're gonna love it. The fashion house I got this from is all the rage with the elite girls your age." She said mischievously.

"And you, young man, are going to cut quite the figure in that suit. Go! Get dressed! Show time is in 2 hours!"

◇◇◇◇

I stepped out into the foyer in the voluminous gown made of black satin, black textured fabric, jet beads, and high quality black faux fur, even more luxurious than the real thing. The bodice fit snugly and accentuated my figure, but the skirt and many layers of sleeves trailed behind me. 

The first set of sleeves were close fitting, made of alternating strips of black and sheer fabric. The second was a pair of that faux fur that hung low in a rectangular shape from the elbow and was lined with black satin. At last, a pair of sleeves floated from my shoulders and down to the floor behind me in black silk. The skirt was heavily drapped in the back and looked like an onyx waterfall as I moved down the hall.

My make-up was simple. A soft shimmering cat's eye eyeshadow, mascara, my mother's favorite eyeliner drawn on with a sharp wing, and a blood red lip that stood out against my pale skin.

Mother had carefully braided and pinned my hair up under a silk and jet head dress and wrapped a black veil around my throat and attached the corners to the head dress and left to get herself changed. 

Leia fussed with Ben's collar as I stood watching. Ben saw me and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hold on, Ben! These buttons are killer on my hands."

"Uh, mom. Someone is waiting for you."

"What?" She looked back at him and tracked his gaze back to me with a gasp.

"Oh, my stars! You look stunning!" She smiled and stepped back from Ben.

He slowly turned to completely face me and looked me up and down, his face unreadable, but his jaw worked as he struggled to not react inappropriately. His eyes couldn't hide his feelings from me, though. I had seen the fire in them too many times to not know how he truly felt, and I blushed under the weight of his gaze.

Leia was right. Ben did cut quite the figure in his suit. The collar was cut high in white, and the jacket in black silk reached to his ankles with a standing collar that framed his face and pushed his hair back creating a halo of sable around his head. His pants were form fitting, and tucked into a pair of high shined boots that spanned up to his knees.

I felt myself gulp and looked up at him with wide eyes, intimated by his presence. He was beautiful. 

Leia let a knowing smile spread across her face as she watched our reactions to ourselves. 

"Say something nice to Ayala, Ben." She goated him.

He swallowed and cleared his throat. 

"You uh, look... dressed... in fabric. Very nice... I like the uh..." His gloved hand gestured at his face. "Lip stuff." He said flatly and Leia's smile grew wider with satisfaction.

"What do you think of Ben's suit, Ayala?" 

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. 

"He- it umm, it looks expensive."

My mother stepped out of the hall with a chuckle and nodded.

"You can say that again."

"I bought it with my money, so hush!" She replied and put her hand in the loop of her evening bag.

"Well, it looks like you two have your hot date. Too bad your father couldn't make it to be mine." She smiled and raised her eyebrows at us and dragged my mother into the elevator. Mother smiled proudly at me as they stepped inside the lift. We stood there as they let the doors close on us.

Ben immediately burst into movement and strode across the floor like a predator to me and smothered me in a firey kiss. 

"My gods, you look beautiful like this." He growled as he finally pulled away, his heavy breath making my veil ripple against my cheek.

"You should definitely wear a suit more often." I breathed and gazed into his eyes.

"As you wish, princess." He replied darkly and kissed my satin gloved hand, his lips warm and sensationally soft through the fabric.

He hooked my hand into the crook of his elbow, and we headed into the elevator at last. 

◇◇◇◇

The opera was beautiful and my mother would whisper little tid bits of information about the opera and how they executed certain stunts.  
Leia watched with wide eyes, and squeezed Ben's arm affectionately every once in a while. Ben and I held each other's hands in the darkness. His fingers trailed across my palm and I would snatch my palm away when he tickled me.

Finally, the intermission came and we stood and headed to the bar.

Everyone ordered cocktails and we began our socializing. Seeing my mother in her own beautiful gown of pearl grey satin and crystals made me feel proud. Her delicate, slender frame sauntered through the crowd with Leia by her side in a gown of burgundy and metallic beads.

Ben was a natural, making effortless conversation with people who walked up to him to introduce themselves to the handsome, young prince of Alderran. He was friendly and open. His hand held behind his back and his drink in the other, he laughed and smiled warmly at everyone. 

Of course people would introduce themselves to me with a bow. I curtsied and they smiled and moved on to the Solos and my famous mother. I pushed back a pang of loneliness or maybe it was jealousy? 

"Excuse me, but I'm going to the balcony." I said, but no one heard me over their conversations. 

I stepped back and made a beeline for the open door. The night air was chilly, but under all the layers of my gown, it was refreshing. 

I crossed the marble floor, avoiding the glances of the other guests and made my way to the banister for a better view of Hanna City at night.

It was-

"Beautiful." A man's voice said behind me.

I whirled around and nearly drew my saber on the stranger but stopped. It was a young man with sad, brown eyes and short, dark, curly hair, with one rouge lock that swirled over his right eye.

"The view." He finished and stepped up to the banister beside me, his hooded eyes never leaving mine. 

"You're talking about the view, but you're not looking at it." I said coolly.

"I've seen it a dozen times, but this view is exquisite." He said and pressed his lips onto my knuckles. "Please, let me introduce myself. Poe. Poe Damron." 

He bowed.

"Ayala Samsobal." I replied.

I curtsied and he smiled sideways, looking up at me through his thick lashes. He kept his grip on my hand and ran his thumb over the ridge of my knuckles.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have the hands of a fighter?" He purred.

"No, never." I said and smiled coyly.

"With some training, you could really kick some ass." He said. "I could, uh... show you some moves." He finished and leaned on the banister.

"I bet I could show you more." I replied matching his tone, loving the game the thought he could play over me.

"Really?" He breathed, almost shocked at my bold reply.

"Yeah, I could lay you right out on that marble floor in front of everyone." I whispered and leaned into his gaze.

His excitement glittered in his eyes as he watched my lip curl into a wicked smile.

"I would love that, Ayala." He said seductively.

He blinked and I roughly gripped his hand and pulled him from the bannister to the floor, sending him flying across the polished marble, as promised.

I laughed and he rolled over onto his back and looked up at me in awe.

"Wow." He said brethlessly.

I smiled and strode to him to help him up, as the other guest clapped and laughed with us. 

"How did you do that?" He asked as I pulled him to his feet.

"Lots of training with Luke Skywalker." I replied dealing the final punchline to the ruse.

"You?" He said in shock. "You're the Padawan everyone's been talking about!" He exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting such a beautiful woman."

I smiled and stood back.

"Do all the young padawans look like you?" He said playfully.

"No, one of them looks like that." I replied and jutted my chin to the figure behind me.

Poe spun around and came face to face with Ben's torso. 

He looked up and quickly and backed away. 

"Holy- big- Gods you're tall." He stammered as he took in the hulking figure of the soon-to-be Jedi, Ben Solo. 

"Is this guy bothering you, Ay'la?" He said and made himself look as intimidating as possible, which wasn't hard to do. 

I stepped to Ben's side and he put his hand on my shoulder possessively. 

"Oh, he's harmless."

"She can take care of herself, that's for sure. Had me on the floor for a moment there." Poe chuckled.

"I should have known that was you causing trouble." Ben said flatly.

"He just wanted me to show him some moves." I said innocently.

Ben looked at him with a dark expression. 

"I bet he did." He growled.

"Dameron!" Leia exclaimed as she approached our party, my mother in tow.

"Princess!" He said and bowed deeply. "Madam Rakhol."

My mother looked from me to Poe and Ben with concern.

"How are you, dear boy?"

His eyes flicked up to Ben and laughed nervously.

"Just introduced myself to these two, uh- padawans."

"Ah, yes! So glad you and Ben could meet." She said warmly. "He's a sure shot pilot for the New Republic." 

Mother stood her ground but seemed nonplussed by the presence of the young pilot.

"My mother thinks highly of you." Ben said and held out his hand to shake Poe's. Poe reached out and shook Ben's and winced slightly when Ben's hand squeezed just a tad too hard.

"I appreciate that, believe me." Poe said sincerely and pulled back and flexed his hand.

Ben smiled satisfied with his handiwork.  
Poe smiled good-naturedly through the pain and stood as tall as he could next to the taller Ben. 

A soft growl sounded from behind us and we all spun around. 

A tall Wookie lumbered across the floor and pushed through the crowd.

"Uncle Chewie!" Ben shouted and held his arms out to him as the Wookie approached.

Ben was actually shorter than him as he collided into the the dwarfing figure and wrapped his arms around him.

"Urrrrggg!" The Wookie replied.

"You haven't aged a day!" Ben laughed and pulled away from him. 

"Ayala, this is Chewbacca! My uncle, Chewie!" He said enthusiastically.

Chewie showed his teeth and looked down at Ben. 

"It's an honor to meet you, General." I said reverantly and curtsied.

He too bowed slightly.

"Talk about a homecoming!" Ben said happily.

"It's too bad Han couldn't be here. I miss him at events like this." Poe said as he took in the sight of the incomplete family. 

Something dangerous flashed across Ben's face but it fell into a frown. Ben realized that Poe got to be with his father more than he had.


End file.
